This invention relates to a sanitary napkin for absorption and containment of menstrual discharge.
Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2527597 discloses a sanitary napkin provided in its longitudinally middle region under an upper layer portion of the napkin with an elastic member adapted to be stretched and contracted longitudinally of the napkin. A portion of a topsheet overlying the elastic member protrudes when the napkin is put on a wearer""s body and thereupon the elastic member contracts. As a result, the protruding portion of the napkin comes in close contact with the wearer""s pudendum.
In the case of the known sanitary napkin, most of menstrual discharge is absorbed through the protruding portion of the topsheet but any excessive amount of menstrual discharge will flow down laterally along a sloped surface of the protruding portion of the topsheet and may cause undesirable sideways leakage.
It is an object of this invention to, in a napkin having its longitudinally middle region adapted to protrude, prevent, menstrual discharge from leaking sideways.
A sanitary napkin according to the invention includes a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and backsheet.
The sanitary napkin further includes the following arrangements: Between the topsheet and the backsheet, at least a single elastic member extending longitudinally under tension and having longitudinally opposite ends bonded to one of the topsheet and the backsheet so that the elastic member is stretched and contracted between the ends. In the vicinity of transversely opposite side edges of said napkin, said topsheet is compressed together with the absorbent core underlying the topsheet toward the backsheet to form a pair of compressed grooves extending longitudinally of the napkin. The topsheet and the backsheet and the absorbent core are integrated so that they are not easily separable one from another in the grooves and portions of the napkin lying in the grooves have a density higher than a density of the napkin in the vicinity of the grooves. Between the pair of grooves, a portion of the napkin overlying the elastic member in a thickness direction of the napkin is formed separably from a portion of the napkin underlying the elastic member also in the thickness direction of the napkin so that the portion of the napkin overlying the elastic member moves upward as the napkin is longitudinally curved with the topsheet lying inside and thereupon the elastic member contracts.
According to one embodiment of this invention, the elastic member is disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core.
According to another embodiment of this invention, the absorbent core comprises an upper layer portion and a lower layer portion between which the elastic member is disposed between these two layer portions.